Agri Automation & Robotics

USA — New Holland has announced a strategic partnership with Bluewhite to expand autonomous capabilities for orchard and vineyard operations. The collaboration brings together Bluewhite’s retrofit autonomy kits with New Holland’s tractor platforms and dealer network to provide growers with an integrated, end-to-end autonomy solution.

Why Specialty Crops Are Different:
Orchards and vineyards introduce unique challenges — narrow rows, variable slopes, and dense canopies. Routine tasks such as spraying, mowing, and tillage are repetitive and fatigue-intensive, making autonomy a matter of both safety and ergonomics as much as labor efficiency. Consistent speed, path precision, and obstacle awareness reduce risk while improving uniformity of field operations.

What the Partnership Delivers:
The partnership integrates Bluewhite’s retrofit autonomy systems with New Holland’s global support and equipment portfolio. Growers benefit from:

• On-site installation, training, and dealer-supported maintenance.
• Redundant sensing and geofenced navigation for safe operation within orchard blocks.
• Emergency-stop protocols and detailed digital activity logs to support audits and sustainability certifications.
• Continuous software updates and remote diagnostics via connected fleet services.

This “under-one-roof” approach streamlines adoption, allowing specialty crop growers to transition from pilot testing to daily autonomous use with confidence.

Operational Payoff:
Uniform coverage, reduced overlap, and automated record-keeping translate directly into efficiency and compliance gains. Autonomy allows experienced operators to shift from long, repetitive shifts to supervisory and system maintenance roles, enhancing both productivity and workplace safety. As reliability builds across multiple crop cycles — from bloom to harvest to pruning — autonomy becomes part of the standard operating workflow, not an experimental tool.

Industry Context:
This move follows New Holland’s broader push into robotics and smart farming, showcased earlier at events like FIRA USA 2025. By deepening ties with Bluewhite, New Holland reinforces its strategy of modular autonomy — upgrading existing fleets through retrofit solutions instead of waiting for full-factory automation models.

About Bluewhite:
Founded in Israel and active across North America, Bluewhite specializes in autonomous navigation systems for specialty crop tractors. Its retrofit kits transform standard tractors into fully autonomous units equipped for multi-task operations, supported by advanced software analytics and farm management dashboards.

About New Holland:
New Holland, a brand of CNH Industrial, continues to invest in precision and autonomy technologies that help farmers operate more efficiently and sustainably. The partnership with Bluewhite strengthens its commitment to making autonomous farming practical for every type of grower, including those managing high-value specialty crops.